Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus for managing a network device and a method for controlling the management apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional method for causing a management server for managing a network device to remotely operate a plurality of network devices by using web user interfaces (web UIs) of respective network devices. In this case, the management server manages each network device by operating the web UI in such a way as to simulate a web browser operation (e.g., a keyboard input operation or a click operation) of each client. The management server accesses the web UI, and the management server collects many pieces of information (e.g., status and setting information of each network device). For example, the management server can install various applications and change various setting values for high-performance multifunction peripherals dedicated to offices. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-86891 discusses a system in which an integrated server processes a request from a client according to a scenario, thereby simulating a web browser operation of the client and facilitating an application operation.
Further, in a case where the management server manages a plurality of network devices, the management server writes a web UI operation procedure to an external file and manages a script for each model. The script includes a description about a procedure of each web UI operation (e.g., a page transition operation, a keyboard input operation, or a mouse operation). The management server reads an associated script from unique information of the network device and operates the web UI according to a described operation procedure. Therefore, a processing logic dedicated to each network device can be separated as an execution program and the efficiency in the individual management of each network device can be improved.
In a network device, the web UI may change due to an update of its firmware, a connection establishment with an external device, or the like. If a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) structure of the web UI is changed, the management server cannot appropriately execute an existing web UI operation task, and if the task is forcibly executed, the network device may perform an operation not intended by a task creator.